‘Fund warfare not welfare’, says North Yorkshire MP

​Kevin Hollinrake, the MP for Thirsk and Malton, has called on the Government to cut welfare spending and instead “fund warfare”. The Conservative Party chairman added that 1,120 people in his constituency were claiming unemployment benefits, which he said was “not sustainable”.

​The percentage of people aged 16-64 claiming unemployment benefits in Thirsk and Malton is two per cent, and in Scarborough and Whitby it is 3.1 per cent.

​According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of UK job vacancies fell to its lowest level for five years, while unemployment fell from 5 per cent to 4.9 per cent in the three months to April. The number of people in employment has also fallen.

​The Government has come under fire for its defence investment plan, which this month led to the resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey and Defence Minister Al Carns, the latter of whom has emerged as a potential challenger to Any Burnham in a Labour Party leadership election contest.

​Kevin Hollinrake MP said: “People in Thirsk and Malton and across the country are alarmed by the growing threats Britain faces, and they are also alarmed by the growing welfare bill that is absorbing public resources and stopping us from funding our defence.

​“The threats we face are getting more and more serious. That is why I voted to demand the Government cuts welfare and gives our Armed Forces the backing they need to keep us safe.”

Kevin Hollinrake MP.

​Mr Healey recently said that the draft spending proposals would take UK defence spending to 2.68 per cent of GDP by 2030, which he said fell “well short” of the 3 per cent target he said was necessary.

​The UK has vowed to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035 alongside Nato allies.

​Mr Hollinrake said there was “a consensus that our military is not ready for war” and that reinstating the two-child benefit cap would create savings for increased defence spending.

​“People in Thirsk and Malton are proud of our armed forces and they know that we need to put more money in defence and bring defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP this Parliament, rather than Labour’s target of the next Parliament – potentially as late as 2034,” he said.

​The MP added: “Conservatives have set out key steps towards 3 per cent, including by reinstating the two-child benefit cap and using billions from Net Zero to create a Sovereign Defence Fund. We have explained where the money comes from, how Labour could do this, and are now restating our offer to work together in the national interest to achieve it.”

​According to the House of Commons Library, there were 1.71 million claimants for unemployment benefits in May 2026, which was 31,200 more than the month before and 12,500 more than in May 2025.

​The claimant count is the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance plus people claiming Universal Credit who are required to seek work.